Graffiti: Is it Vandalism or Art?

Ancient medium divides society

Ancient medium divides society

February 27, 2006|ALLIE GILCHRIST Clay High School

Graffiti is a controversial subject. It has existed since the beginning of the formation of civilization, becoming prominent during the Roman Empire's peak. The word originates from the Greek word "graphein," which means to write. In many languages, it is simply translated to "writing on the wall." In Korea, China and Armenia, however, the word has negative associations. Many compare it to a dog, "peeing on a tree," in essence, making a mark in the community. Tagging isn't limited to spray cans only. Markers and enamel paint are common mediums. According to graffitiverite.com, a large piece can take up to 20 cans of spray paint and a top-to-bottom mural on a New York subway car takes 30 cans. Modern graffiti originated in New York City in the late 60's. A pioneer of the time, Lady Pink, produced pieces that eventually grew from street murals and freight trains to commissioned museum works. The majority of New York, however, detested the growing underground movement. In 1983, the mayor, Edward Koch, stated that graffiti is "one of the quality of life offenses, and you can't just take one of these quality of life offenses, it's like three-card Monte, pick pocketing, shoplifting and graffiti defacing our public and private walls. They're all in the same area of destroying our lifestyle and making it difficult to enjoy life." The general assumption seems to be that graffiti is a gateway crime to rape, murder, etc. A resident of Denver, Charles Hillestad, expressed even more discontent in a 1983 Rocky Mountain News interview, saying, "Graffiti is much closer to rape than it is to art." Susan A. Phillips, author of Wallbangin: Graffiti and Gangs in L.A. said "It is vandalism, no matter how ordered or beautiful." Delving deeper into my research, I ran into a woman who was torn on the subject. She reported that a horribly rude racial slur was tagged in a park on the south side a few months ago. The next day, she said, it was gone. The woman spoke of beautiful pieces she had seen, but at the same time, couldn't condone it. Most people seem to share her opinion; under certain circumstances, perhaps, graffiti can be considered an art form. According to Mrs. Wynn, "Some people make music to make money, some people make music to make art." Jeff Chang of the Village Voice wrote, "Graffiti needs to be championed, its practitioners seem to say, but it doesn't need to be saved." A local graffiti artist expressed his opinion saying, "You walk down the streets and all the conflict and personal issues of a community is expressed in words on the wall." Another said, "This isn't a cry for help. This is to make people aware of problems in this world."